Pin-setting mechanism



W. F. BARRETT.

PIN SETTING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 7.1919.

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PIN SETTING MECHANTSM.

APPLICATION min JULY A1919.

Patented Mar. 30, 1920.

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PIN SETTING MECHANISM.

APPucAnoN mso JULY 7.1919.

1,335,638, Patented Mar. 30, 1920.

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VPatented Mal'. 30, 1920.

Application led July 7, 191,8. Serial lo. 908,887.

To all whom. it muy concern Be it known that I.. WILBERT F. Banxn'rr, a citizen of the United States, residi at Haverhill, in the county of Essex and tate of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Pin-Setting Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mechanism for setting ten pins, duck pins, candle pins, and the like, one of its objects beingbto provide simple and ellicient means where y the pins, when moving toward their respective positions in the setting mechanism, will be automatically arranged with their large ends or bases in advance, thereby insuring against assembling the pins with some of them 1n inverted positions.

Another object is to provide distributing mechanism adapted to be operated by the weight of the pins as they move through the apparatus, whereby the pins will be directed into se arate chutes and thence to delivering and:I elevating means.

A still further obect is to provide means luider the control o the pins, for unlocking the distributin mechanism, and additional mechanism un er control of the pins for reversing the action of the distributing mechamsm.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that various changes may be made in vthe construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawinthe preferred form of the invention has o shown.

In said draw' Figure 1 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation, of the setting apparatus, l

only one of the vertical shown.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of an alley, parts being broken awa and showing the posltlons of the tubes lea g to the spots, the gutter conveyors, and the receiving ho per.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the distributin mechanism. i

Flg. 4 is an enla transverse section through the distributing mechanism and guide tubes being showing the locking and reversing mechamsm. i

5 is a detail view of the lock.

Fig. 6 1s a view partly in section and partly in elevation of the pin engaging portion of the reversing mechanism.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, 1 designates an alley having the usual side gutters 2. In the present instance, however, an endless belt 3 is located with its upper run forming the bottom portion of the gutter. The belts are mounted on sheaves 4 secured to transverse shafts 5 under the alley and these shafts are adapted to be driven 1n any suitable manner, as by a belt 6,

A hopper 7 is provided at the back end of the alley and takes the place of the usual pit, and extendin from the bottom of the ho per is an inclined outlet tube 8 having a e ivery arm 9 extending downwardly therefrom, said arm being tubular. A

y pocket 10 is provided in line with the tube 8 and above the arm 9. The parts are so proportioned that should a pin move endwise throu h the tube 8 with its base first, it woul -tilt overthe end of the tube 8 and gravitate, base first, into the delivery tube or arm 9. If, however, the pin should slide neck first through the tube 8, the neck portion would pass across the upper end of arm 9 and into the pocket 10 before the base of the pin would come to position above the arm 9. Thus, as soon as the base of the pin comes to position above the arm 9, it will drop down into the arm 9 and the pin will therefore descend base first. The provision of the pocket 10 and the particular arrangement of tube 8 and arm 9 results, therefore, in the automatic adjustment of the pins so that all of them are caused to move base first downwardly through the arm 9.

The arm 9 opens downwardly into a guide tube 11 having a longitudinal slot. An endless belt 12 is supported close to this tube and has fingers 13 outstanding therefrom and spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the length of a in to be set. One run of the belt is arallelI with the slot so that the lingers wil move successively into the slot, as shown. Thus as a pin enters the guide tube 11 base first, it will strike the uppermost finger extending into the tube and move it downwardly approximately the length of the pin.

The guide tube 11 opens downwardly into the upper end of a distributing tube 14 mounted to swing about the axis of a stern 15 extending laterally from the upper end thereof and secured to the distributing tube and concentric with the axis of movement of the tube, is a gear 16 having peripheral teeth 17 and beveled teeth 18. A lookin pgwl 19 is mounted on the tube 11, this paw ing in the form of a lever one end of which is movable into engagement with the teeth 17 to hold the gear 16 and tube 14 against rotation while the other end projects into the tube 11 to form a stop, as shown at 20. An an lar lever 21 is mounted on the tube 11 anupasses across the pawl 19 so that when this lever 21 is swung in one direction it will force the stop projection 20 into the tube 11 and disengage the awl from the teeth 17, and when the said lzsver is moved in the opposite direction it will actuate the pawl so as to en age the said teeth and withdraw the stop rom the tube 11. A rod 22 is slidably mounted on the tube 14 and moves therewith and one end of this rod is connected to the lever 21 close to the axis of movement of the tube 14 while the other end of the rod has an outstanding lug 23.

The belt 12 is mounted on pulleys 24 one of which has a gear 25 revoluble therewith. A frame 26 is slidably mounted belowr the said gear and has a shaft therein indicated at 27 on which are secured spaced gears 28 either of which is adapted to be engaged by the gear 25. Opposed beveled gears 29 are also carried by said shaft and the beveled gear teeth 17 pro'ect therebetween. A rack 30 is carried by t e slidable frame and is engaged by a segmental gear 31 pivotally mounted on a suitable support. Oppositely extending arms are extended from this gear 31, as shown at 32 and by rocking the arms and gear, lthe rack 30 will be actuated so as to move one of the gears 29 into mesh with teeth 17 and one of the gears 28 into mesh with gear 25. Thus motion can be transmitted from thc gear 25 to cause the gear 16 to rotate in either direction desired and likewise cause the tube 14 to swing in either of two directions.

The distributing tube is adapted to swing across the open upper ends of a series of downwardly diverging receiving tubes 33 the lower ends of which incline forwardly as at 34 to form delivery mouths 35 in the bottoms thereof and which are adapted to discharge into a box 36. This box can be of any construction desired and can be tilted in an desired manner, as by means of solenolds 37. This part of the mechanism constitutes in itself no part of the present invention and has been shown in detail in my co-pending application #278,112 filed Feb. 20th, 1919.

Each of the end tubes of the series indicated at 33 has an enlarged .portion 38 and projecting into these portions are gripping fingers 39 slidably mounted and limited in their upward movement by bails 40 pivotally connected to the tubes and b the upper ends of the slots. Springs 41 pu 1 upwardly upon the lingers and extending loosely through openings in the outer ends of the fingers are rods 42 pivotally connected to the ends of the arms 32. Thus when a pin is directed into one of the end tubes 33 by the tube 14 it will come against the end of the finger 39 in said tube and move it downwardly a sufficient distance to allow the pin to pass the end of the finger and fall into the mouth 35. Durin this downward movement of the finger t e walls of the opening therein will ip upon theA rod 42 and pull it downwar y a ainst the action of the light spring 41 an as the pin becomes disengaged rom the finger, said finer will be moved upwardly back to its initial position, sliding along the rod 42 during such movement. This initial down ward movement of the finger is sufficient to swing the arms 32 and the gear 31 so as to disenga e the gears 29 from the teeth 18 and hol the parts in neutral position. The next time a pin is dropped into said end tube the linger will be again lowered and will move the rod 42 downwardly an added distance suliicient to complete the movement of the segment 31 and bring one of the gears 29 into ,mesh with the teeth 18. The gears are thus arranged to cause the tube 14 to swing away from the end tube 33 when the gear 16 is again actuated.

Every one of the tubes 33 has a lu 43 rojectmg thereinto from a rod 44 w ich 1s slidably mounted on the tube and a head 45 is located at the upper end of each rod for engagement with the lug 23 on the rod 22.

After the box 36 has been filled with a setof ten pins it is tilted so as to cause the pins to slide into spouts 46 opening into guide tubes 47 arranged vertically under the alley and extending upwardly `to openings 48 in said alley. Plungers 49 are adapted to move within the tubes 47 so as to elevate the pins through the openings, said plungers forming the spots on which the pins are left standing. The means for operating the plungers constitutes no part of this invention and has not been shown or described.

Assuming that the tube 14 is located to direct a pm into one of the end tubes 33 after the tenth pin of a set has already been delivered thereto, it will be understood that when the said tenth pin was directed into said tube 33 the gears 29 will be thrown to neutral position. As the pins are hit on the alley and thrown or drawn back into the hopper 7, they gravitate one at a time into the tubes 8, thence into arm 9, and then into f: gears and causes the tube 14 the tube l1 where they engage and move the fingers 13. As a pin moves the linger 13 .md the belt 1:2 the gear 16 is operated but as rlw gears 29 are in neutral positions the segmental gear 3l will not be operated or the position of the tube 14 changed. Consequently the pin, in leaving the tube 11 will 'press against thebeveled end of stop 21 and push `said stop outwardly so as to actuate .li-ver 21 and force itinto engagement with the teeth 17 and thereby lock the tube 14 against movement. The pin then descends into the end tube 33 and to the box 36, forming the first pin of the next set to be elevated to the alley. In passing through tube 33 the pin shifts the gears, as before explained and also moves against the lug 43 so' as to shift rod 44 and pull, through the head 45, upon the lug 23 so as to actuate the rod 22 and disengage the lever 19 from teeth 17. The tube 14 is thus unlocked. The belt 12 being now free to move is actuated by the next pin engaging one of its fingers 13 and as the pin descends the belt operatesthe to swing into register with the second tube 33 ofthe series. The operation hereinbefore described is then repeated, the lug 23 moving successively into engagement with the heads 45. The tenth pin is finally delivered to the tenth tube of the series and, when so delivered, will move the gears 29 to neutral position so that the tube 14 will remain stationaryv and deliver the first pin of the next set into the same end tube.

lVhat is claimed is:-

1. In pin setting apparatus the combination with separate pin receiving tubes, a guide tube, means for directing pins from an alley into the guide tube,- a movably mounted distributing tube, and means operated by the passage of the pins through the guide tube for shifting the distributing tube successivel into communication with the receiving tu s.

In in setting apparatus, the combination wit separate pm receiving tubes, a guide tube, a distributing tube movably mounted and communicatin tube, and means operated )iv pins passing through the guide tube for s lifting the distributing tube into communication with the receiving tubes successively, of means 0perated by the ins when assing into the distributing tu e for loc ing Said tube against movement, and means operated by with the guide.

said pins when leaving the receiving tubes for unlocking the distrlbuting tube.

3. In pin setting apparatus the combination with separate in receiving tubes, of a guide tube, means tor directing pins thereto from an alley, a distributing tube in constant communication with the guide tube, means operated by a pin within the guide tube for shifting the dlstributing tube from one to another of the receiving tubes, means operated by said pin when leaving the guide tube for locking the shifting means to hold the distributing tube against movement and to support the next following pin within the guide tube, and means operated by the pin when leaving the receiving tube for unlocking said means.

4. In a pin setting a paratus the combination with separate radli ceiving tubes, a guide tube and means for directing pins from an alley to the guide tube, of a distributing tube in communication with the guide tube and mounted to move successively into communication with the respective receiving tubes, pin actuated means within the guide tube, gearing operated by said means for shifting the distributing tube, and means operated by the movement of pins successively into and through one of the receiving tubes for successively shifting the gears to bring them to neutral and reverse positions respectively.

5. In pin setting apparatus, the combination with a pin receiving hopper, and an outlet tube extending therefrom, of a tubular arm de ending abruptly therefrom, and a pin-nec c-receiving pocket in line with the outlet tube and projecting past the outlet arm.

(i. The combination with an alley having gutters, a pin receiving hopper, and endless belt-s within the gutters and leading to the hopper, of an outlet tube extending from the hopper. a pin-neck receiving pocket at the end of the tube, a downwardly extending tubular arm at the inner or open end of the pocket, and pin distributing mechanism supplied by the arm.

In testimony that. I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto atiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WI LBERT F. BARRETT. Witnesses i JOHN E. MCNAMARA, HERBERT E. EMEnsoN.

ally disposed pin re-` 

